St. Simons Island Lighthouse, Georgia: The 1880 Shooting and the Keeper on the Stairs

Haunted Lighthouses in the Southeastern US
The white St. Simons Island Lighthouse in Georgia with its black lantern, beside the two-story brick keeper's dwelling

We run the NicheStuff store; some links in this post go to products we sell.

The St. Simons Island Lighthouse stands at the south end of St. Simons Island, Georgia, looking over St. Simons Sound. It is a working light, a museum and, according to island lore, the home of a keeper who never finished his last shift. The lore centers on a real event: in 1880 the head keeper was shot by his assistant on the station grounds. This post separates what the records show from what visitors say.

History

The first lighthouse here grew out of a land deal. The Coastal Illustrated, drawing on the Coastal Georgia Historical Society, reports that plantation owner John Couper deeded four acres to the federal government in 1804, and that James Gould of Massachusetts built the first tower, finished in 1810, mostly of tabby (a lime, sand and shell concrete) instead of the brick first planned. Gould became the first keeper and served until 1837. The same article notes that, according to the Society, he trained several enslaved people to maintain the light.

That tower did not survive the Civil War. On September 29, 1861, Confederate troops blew it up so Union ships could not use it, after first removing its Fresnel lens, which has never been found. A new tower and an attached two-story brick keeper’s dwelling followed; the U.S. Coast Guard’s history office gives 1872 as the year the current tower was first lit. It is 104 feet tall, with a third-order Fresnel lens, and it was automated in the 1950s (the Coast Guard lists 1954). Keepers and their families lived in the dwelling until the 1950s, and the light still guides vessels into St. Simons Sound.

The ghost stories

The murder behind the legend is documented. The Coast Guard’s history office says St. Simons was apparently the only station where one Lighthouse Service employee fatally shot another. On February 29, 1880, assistant keeper John Stevens argued with head keeper Frederick Osborne. Osborne brandished a pistol; Stevens fired a shotgun loaded with buckshot from nearly 98 feet away and hit him in four places. Osborne died about ten days later. Stevens turned himself in and was acquitted. The Historical Society’s programming director told the Coastal Illustrated that Osborne family lore blames a quarrel over stolen chickens; other accounts say Stevens threatened to “chastise” Osborne first. The two families shared the dwelling, the Osbornes downstairs and the Stevens family upstairs.

What follows is legend, as reported by those two sources and repeated for well over a century:

  • Footsteps on the stairs: Visitors and staff describe footsteps climbing the tower’s spiral staircase at night, attributed to Osborne still making his rounds.
  • A figure in the tower: A dark figure is said to appear high in the tower, and doors are said to slam.
  • The Svendsens’ dog: Keeper Carl Svendsen arrived in 1907. The Historical Society says the family heard what sounded like footsteps in the tower and that their dog, Jinx, growled and backed away from the sound. The Svendsens credited Osborne.
  • The light that fixed itself: A further tale says Mrs. Svendsen, alone one night when the light failed, gave up on the repair and then heard a noise in the tower. Versions online add that she saw Osborne fix the lamp; that detail could not be traced to a primary source.

None of this is evidence of a haunting. The shooting, the trial and Osborne’s death are on record. The ghost is a story told about them, and the Society itself frames it that way: visitors “still ask about the ‘ghost.'”

Visiting (checked October 2026)

The lighthouse and Keeper’s Dwelling are run as the St. Simons Lighthouse Museum by the Coastal Georgia Historical Society. Its official Plan Your Visit page lists the physical address as 101 12th Street, St. Simons Island, GA 31522; tickets are sold at the A.W. Jones Heritage Center next door (some listings use 610 Beachview Drive).

  • Hours: Monday to Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sunday noon to 5 p.m. Last tickets 4:30 p.m.
  • Closed: Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Day and Easter Sunday.
  • Admission: $12 adults, $6 ages 6 to 12, children under 6 and Society members free, $2 military discount with ID. A combination ticket with the World War II Home Front Museum is $20 adults, $10 ages 6 to 12.
  • Climbing: Yes. Visitors can climb the 129 steps to the top of the tower. Anyone under 16 must climb with an adult, and the tower may close during bad weather.
  • Phone: (912) 638-4666, option 4.

Prices and hours change; check the Society’s site before you go.

Frequently asked questions

Is the St. Simons Lighthouse haunted?

Island legend says keeper Frederick Osborne, shot by his assistant in 1880, still walks the tower stairs. The shooting is documented; the ghost is folklore.

Can you climb the St. Simons Lighthouse?

Yes. The museum lets visitors climb 129 steps to the top; under-16s must be with an adult.

How much does it cost?

$12 for adults and $6 for ages 6 to 12, as of October 2026.

Was the murderer convicted?

No. The Coast Guard’s history office says assistant keeper John Stevens was acquitted.

More haunted lighthouses in the Southeast: St. Augustine Lighthouse (FL) and Pensacola Lighthouse (FL).

Sources

Shop the gear

Heads up: NicheStuff is our own shop, so we earn from purchases made through these links. Prices and availability are set on the store and can change.

Top image: St. Simons Lighthouse, Georgia. Photo by JStephanMease via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)